Ezekwesili Asks Africans To Demand For Good Governance

A former Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has asked Africans to demand good governance from their leaders, insisting that it is the only way that the leaders will deliver on the campaign promises.

At the Annual conference of the Royal African Society in London on Monday, Dr Ezekwesili urged citizens of the African continent to be more proactive in demanding social change.

“The supply of governance must be matched deliberately by the demand for good governance,” she said.

Dr Ezekwesili emphasised that “Africa is rising, as we have all heard, but countries like Nigeria may be vulnerable to the external shocks of declining commodity prices if prudent management of the nation’s finances are not applied”.

Poverty And Inequality Rising

She was speaking against the backdrop of the uneven growth pattern across Africa where positive economic indices still sees many citizens on the margins.

Delivering a keynote address, Dr Ezekwesili highlighted the positive economic strides being made across the continent, including Nigeria, but argued that the pattern had also with it a paradox. “The levels of poverty and inequality rising side by side the said improvements. Thus mere economic growth cannot suffice,” she stressed.

Bursts of outrage over perceived government failings have been witnessed in various parts of the continent, a popular movement being the Bring Back Our Girls campaign for the over 200 young girls kidnapped in Chibok, Nigeria by the Boko Haram terrorists in April.

But demanding for social justice and economic and political inclusion is not a simple task, as many Nigerians contend with the more demanding challenges of survival.  With the 2015 general elections drawing nearer, experts have emphasised that political apathy was not in anyone’s interest.